MASSACHUSETTS PROPOSES REMOVING ‘SO HELP ME GOD’ FROM OATH
It is not uncommon for people to have to swear oaths in court or when they were declaring their allegiance to America to utter the phrase “so help me God” or some variation thereof. However, state legislators in Massachusetts are considering a move that would make a secular version an oath available to all people that do not feel comfortable with the tinge of religion that is present in the current oath.
Elected officials and people undergoing sworn testimony in court have long wondered whether it was ever appropriate to make someone swear to God while being sworn in. It was at best an act of compliance or at worst a way to make atheist or individuals from any number of non-Abrahamic religions uncomfortable. Individuals in Massachusetts are taking a stand, though, as the Joint Committee on the Judiciary for the state has passed a bill that would be mostly focused on adding the Quaker Oath to the various places where an oath is required. Instead of swearing to God, the proposed oath reads “This I do under the pains and penalties of perjury.”
Individuals in Massachusetts are taking a stand, though, as the Joint Committee on the Judiciary for the state has passed a bill that would be mostly focused on adding the Quaker Oath to the various places where an oath is required. Instead of swearing to God, the proposed oath reads “This I do under the pains and penalties of perjury.”
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